Convertible chair and table



2 Sheets-Sheet 1.

(No Model.)

T. M. SGHLEIBR.

GONVERTIBLE CHAIR AND T ABLE.

No. 371,099. Patented 001;. 4, 1887, h

(No Model.) 2 Sheets-Sheet 2.

T. M. SGHLEIER.

GONVERTIBLE CHAIR AND TABL'ILI No. 371,099. Patented Octg l, 1887.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFIC THEODORE M. SCHLEIER, OF NASHVILLE, TENNESSEE.

CONVERTIBLE CHAIR AND TABLE.-

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 371,099, dated October 4, 1887.

' Application filed Januarylf), 1886. Serial No. 189.077. (N0 model.)

To all whom, it may concern.-

Be itknown that I, THEODORE M. ScHLEIER, a citizen of the United States, residing at Nashville, in the county of Davidson and State of Tennessee, have invented a new and useful Improvement in Convertible Chairs and Tables, of which the following-is a specification.

The object of my invention is to provide a chair which can be conveniently converted into a table by causing the back to assume a horizontal position, the back being secured in whatever position 'it is placed. To this end I construct a chair with permanent seat, legs, and arms, and with a back hinged by means of threaded pivot-pins to the arms through the medium of brackets or links, and I employ shoulders or projections between the back and the pivot-centers, on which it turns on the arms, to afford a bearing for the back when it is turned into horizontal position to serve asa table-top. These shoulders or projections may be permanently fixed either to the back or to the arms, or part to each. The back is secured in desired position by a nut working on the screw and bearing on its brackets or links.

Myinvention further relates to the construction of a convertible chair and table,so that it may be used at will as a desk or easel, and providing a book or picture rest to be applied to the table-top when it is to be used as a desk or easel, and placed out of the way underneath the seat when not in use.

In the accompanying drawings, Figures I and II are perspective views of a convertible chair and table embodying my invention, Fig. I showing it as a chair and Fig. II as a table. Fig. II illustrates a modification in which the supporting projections are wholly on the fixed arms. Fig. III is a perspective view representing it as a table, and in dotted lines the table-top turned up to serve as a chair-back, and showing the connections between the back and arms in the form of hinged links or shackles, permitting a longitudinal as well as a tilting movement to the chair-back when it is turned from vertical to horizontal position to serve as a table-top. Fig. IV is a perspective View showing the device as used for a desk or easel. Fig. V is a view of the book or picture rest detached.

The chair is constructed with a seat, 1, legs be firmly supported when in this position, so

as toserve as a convenient table, shoulders or bearings 6 are provided for the back 4 to rest upon. These bearings may be produced by making the chair-arms project to the necessary height above the pivot or hinge centers 7, as illustrated in Fig. Il but in order to avoid the necessity of having arms of such height as to be inconvenient or uncomfortable when in use as a chair, I prefer to employ shoulders or cleats 6,projecting from the back, as illustrated in Figs. I, II, or III, and supplementing the height of the chair-arms, the same object of affording permanent bearing for the tabletop and permitting it to be turned readily into either position being accomplished in either case.

The connecting hingebrackets 5 may be made of wood'or metal. If made of malleable iron, they may have a form substantially as shown in Figs. I, II, and IV. They may be permanently fixed to the back or hinged there to, as preferred. By hinging the connectingbrackets 5 to the back, as illustrated in Fig. III, so that they constitute links or shackles, ahorizontal or longitudinal movement is atforded to the back when itis turned into horizontal position for use as a table, by which it takes a firmer bearing on the ehair'arms and projects more to the front, so as to occupy a central and symmetrical position relatively to the chair.

The chair-back or tabletop 4 may be used as a desk or easel, as illustrated in Fig. IV, a

by employing a thumb-screw or thumb nut, 7, on one of the pivot-centers, or any other simple and effective'device to retain the said.

receive the pins 10 and hold the rest when out of use. A corresponding cleat or molding, 18, may be applied beneath the front of the seat for ornament.

Having thus described my invention, the following is what I claim as new therein and desire to secure by Letters Patent:

1. The combination, with a chair having permanent arms, of a back hinged to the rear part of said arms through the medium of threaded pivotpins and brackets projecting from its face, and having a directly vertical bearing on the forward part of the permanent arms, and securing-nuts, as herein shown and described.

2. The combination of the seat 1, arms 3, back 4, brackets 5, pivots 7, nuts 7, and

shoulders 6, as and for the purposes herein shown and described.

3. Aconvertiblechair and table constructed, as herein shown and described, with a hinged back, 4, a fastening, 7, by which it is secured at will in inclined position for use as a desk or easel, and a removable rest, 9, as set forth.

4. The chair havinga hinged or tilting back, 4, and a seat, 1, provided with a cleat or molding, 11, in combination with a removable book or picture rest, 9, having pins 10 engaging with holes 12 in the cleat -ll, as and for the purposes set forth.

THEODORE M. SOHLEIER. Witnesses:

J. M. DICKINSON, J. W. BONNER. 

